2002 riots: BJP hails verdict, accuses Congress of falsehood

A Metropolitan court has upheld the clean chit given to Modi by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the killings that took place at Gulbarg Housing Society in Ahmedabad during the 2002 riots in Gujarat.

Ahmedabad: Buoyed by a Gujarat court upholding the (Special Investigation Team) SIT clean chit given to its prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the killings that took place at Gulbarg Housing Society in Ahmedabad during the 2002 riots in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came down heavily on the Congress for targeting Modi.

The BJP hailed the verdict and termed the order as a defeat of the falsehood being pioneered by the Congress party. "Congress Party and its sponsored NGOs are unable to fight Narendra Modi politically. They used falsehood in court against him but failed," BJP leader Arun Jaitely tweeted.

He added that the verdict will give a big boost to the party's campaign in the run-up to the 2014 elections. "Modi goes into the 2014 campaign untainted by propaganda. The verdict has proved that propaganda can never be a substitute for truth," he added.

BJP leader Jay Narayan Vyas also welcomed the judgement. "There is now some clarity in the case. It has vindicated the partiality of the SIT. Truth has prevailed and we are happy about it," he said.

Magistrate BJ Ganatra found no merit in the protest petition filed by Zakia Jafri, the wife of late Congress leader Ehsan Jafri who was killed during the 2002 riots. The court rejected Zakia's petition in its order passed on Thursday and upheld the clean chit given to Modi by the SIT in the killings that took place at Gulbarg Housing Society in Ahmedabad during the 2002 riots in Gujarat.